‘Once in a lifetime’ voyage to France

By: Ryan McKellop – Feb. 27, 2024

Cassidy McKellop, 17, sits at a table in the kitchen and talks a crewmate aboard the Gulden Leeuw, tall ship. (Photo submitted by Cassidy McKellop)

Cassidy McKellop was sailing off to see Paris, France from the Halifax harbour in the summer of 2017.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Paris and at this point, I've only gone to Toronto and not off-island much, so If I didn’t apply, I would regret it for the rest of my life, I thought It would be a cool opportunity,” she said.

McKellop, 17 was accepted into the Mist No’Kmaq program, a sail training and youth

leadership program on an education vessel from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia called the Gulden Leeuw. Through an organization called Three Things Consulting based in Kingston, Ontario. The tall ship she was on had 45 Indigenous youths from across Canada. She saw this as an opportunity to learn more about Indigenous culture.

The tall ship, Gulden Leeuw sailing near the shore before the voyage. (Photo submitted by Cassidy McKellop)

“I thought it would be cool to connect to my culture since there’s not too many opportunities off-reservation,"

Youths were being paid $2,000. The trip itself was long and rough. The youth on board called themselves “Warriors”.

“We had to run the ship eventually, sails, navigation, the galley, we alternated shifts to get a sense of all the jobs,”

McKellop was very nervous when the time came board. It was the longest and farthest trip she had ever taken.

It was a 30-day trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Participants could only take a small bag around the size of a suitcase, sleeping bag with a pillow, and shower stuff. McKellop also brought some playing cards.

“My family was excited, but terrified, same as me” she said.

When it came time to board, McKellop was nervous.

“What the hell am I doing? Do I actually want to do this? Why did I sign myself up for this?”, she thought.

After the ship set sail, she was faced with more problems.

“I was seasick for a week, definitely a difference adjusting on the ocean, there was no cell reception or internet, you actually had to talk to people.”

The living conditions on board weren’t what McKellop was used to back at home. It was dirty and all the sailors slept in one room, in bunk beds. Showers only lasted 30 seconds as you couldn’t waste water in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.

The sleeping quarters that were described as “dirty” on the lower deck of the Gulden Leeuw. (Photo submitted by Cassidy McKellop)

When it came to making friends McKellop became close with half a dozen other participants.

“We see each other at conferences and catch up, definitely an unspoken bond, you got to get really close with the people in your watch because it would be the same people every day.”

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing, McKellop talked about having to sail through a storm.

“There was a storm we went through, you had to wear a harness to go outside, I didn’t go outside. When the storm happened, the people in the kitchen were “popcorning” and carrots and plates were flying around.”

After four weeks of sailing, everyone was ready to reach shore.

“The first week was like “oh shit” we were feeling really homesick and we were all adjusting to this new place that’s foreign to everyone, the last week we were more antsy to be done, it was coming up, we are going to be in Paris we were going to be able to finally have our celebration.”

At the end of the voyage the crew stopped in Falmouth, United Kingdom, then the English Channel Islands and, finally, arrived in La Havre, France. The warriors were bussed to Paris the next day. One of the organizers, Pytor Hodgson met them in France and boarded the ship.

“You stink” he said to the warriors.

“Oh, must be nice in your fucking hotel with a shower.” McKellop replied.

“Get off the ship!” he responded back with.

“We had one last night on the ship when we got to France, the next day we were going to Paris so we got to stay in a hotel that night, we got to sleep in a real bed, and have a real shower, that was nice.” McKellop said.

The adventure in Paris lasted six hours. The warriors went out exploring. There was a curfew for anyone under 18, but anyone over 18 could do whatever they wanted.

“One rented a convertible sports car, we seen the Eiffel Tower, and the Mona Lisa,”

They then took flights back to Canada and reunited with their families after a month of sailing. As for whether McKellop will ever sail again?

“No, If it was the same people, maybe, it was more of a once in a lifetime thing for me. I'm not a sailor, I don’t think I would do it again.”